Quinnipiac University
Hartford
QU Men's Basketball Falls to Hartford, 54-50
11/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HAMDEN, Conn. - The Quinnipiac University men's basketball team snapped its streak of seven straight wins over Hartford on Tuesday night, as the Bobcats fell to the Hawks, 54-50, at the TD Bank Sports Center in Hamden.
It wasn't pretty to say the least, but it was extremely effective for the Hawks who improved to 4-1 on the season. Hartford used every bit of the shot clock on the majority of its possessions, and knocked down eight threes to help secure the victory.
Quinnipiac was held in check offensively all night, scoring on just 32.7 percent of its shot attempts. The Bobcats were led by senior Zaid Hearst (Bethesda, Md.) who finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds. He went 6-for-11 from the floor and 8-for-9 from the charity stripe. Ousmane Drame (Boston, Mass.) also mustered a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Quinnipiac's only lead of the game came in the seventh minute of play after a Hearst jumper. Hartford's John Carroll knocked down a three moments later, and the Hawks didn't trail for the remainder of the game.
The Bobcats seemed as if they would turn the corner midway through the second half, when a 6-0 spurt cut the gap to just one. Again though, the three-point shot came to Hartford's rescue. Justin Graham responded with a trey to extend the lead back to four points. Quinnipiac got to within three points with 5:40 remaining, but this time it was Taylor Dyson with a three-point shot to bump it back to six.
The nation's top rebounding team held the advantage on the glass, but the limited possessions hindered Quinnipiac's offense. The Bobcats claimed a 46-29 advantage on the backboards, but were held to just 13 offensive rebounds and 12 second chance points.
Hartford, who was selected to finish second in the America East Preseason Coaches' Poll, was led by Nate Sikma who had 10 points and five rebounds. Four players scored at least eight points, with Mark Nwakamma leading the rebounding category with seven.
Quinnipiac returns to action on Sunday, Nov. 30 with a home game against Vermont. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the TD Bank Sports Center.
Fans interested in purchasing tickets for the 2014-15 campaign can call the QU Ticket Office at 203-582-3905, visit the official website of Quinnipiac athletics, www.QuinnipiacBobcats.com or make a trip to the TD Bank Sports Center Ticket Office.
Student-athletes, parents and fans can download the QU Athletics schedules to your laptop and mobile devices for free by clicking in the iCalendar link at the bottom of each sport's homepage or the master schedule page. Please follow Quinnipiac Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@QUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates.
